Both models rely on couples’ reports of their infertility history. For the past 20 years, the Templeton method has been the most commonly-used prediction tool; however, it does not consider newly-developed treatments. But IVFpredict, which was developed in 2011, does incorporate new developments, like intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

“The findings showed both models underestimated the chances of a live birth, but this was particularly marked in the Templeton model,” reports EurekAlert. “The team updated the models to reflect very recent improvements in live birth rates and this improved both models; however, IVFpredict still remained the more accurate of the two.”

This latest study confirms the validity of IVFpredict and may lead health professionals to shy away from the more outdated Templeton method. IVFpredict is also available online for couples to access it directly.

Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. She’s a self-proclaimed foodie who loves dancing and anything to do with her baby nephew. Follow her on Twitter:@CAITYstjohn

The report, which was published in the American Journal of Public Health, followed nearly 6 million children, including 48,865 conceived through assisted reproduction and 32,922 with autism.

Researchers noticed that children were twice as likely to have autism if they were conceived through IVF, especially by women under 35. However, the risk of autism was significantly decreased when only a single embryo was transferred during IVF.

“Knowing that one can largely reduce the risk of autism by restricting the procedure to single-egg transfer is important for women who can then make better informed decisions,” said Peter Bearman, a professor of social sciences of Columbia University.

It’s important to note that the study did not conclude a direct cause-and-effect link, but an association—so the potential link could still be the result of other factors, including a mom’s birth age and multiple births, rather than the infertility procedure itself.

“There is an association between IVF and autism, but when we control for the characteristics of women who are more likely to use IVF, for example, age and social status, this association is lessened significantly,” said Dr. Bearman.

Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. She’s a self-proclaimed foodie who loves dancing and anything to do with her baby nephew. Follow her on Twitter:@CAITYstjohn

Scientists believe that bad timing can be one reason for the lack of success, because an embryo wasn’t transferred to a woman’s body at the right time. To help improve IVF success rates, scientists in Madrid have now created a test that will identify the ideal window of time for transferring an embryo.

This test will analyze genes within the woman’s womb lining to determine when they have entered into a receptive phase.

“For most women there is a two to four day stretch when the lining, or endometrium, sends out crucial chemical signals that allow the embryo to attach. For some women the fertile window is shifted earlier or later in the cycle or is unusually brief, however,” reports The Guardian.

A preliminary study was conducted on 85 women who had previously gone through multiple rounds of IVF with no success. But when gene analysis was used, one-third of the participants became pregnant.

“I think it will make a significant difference in the expectations of couples and how we can explain failures,” said Professor Juan Garcia-Velasco, who is currently leading an international trial of the test. “Until now, the endometrium was kind of a black box. Now we can say this was the problem and this is what we can do about it.”

Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. She’s a self-proclaimed foodie who loves dancing and anything to do with her baby nephew. Follow her on Twitter:@CAITYstjohn

In 2013, 2,000 more babies were born through the use of IVF than in 2012. Approximately 175,000 cycles of the treatment led to more than 63,000 infants being born. The report also notes that more women, especially those under 35, are choosing to transfer a single embryo, rather than multiple embryos—which eliminates the possibility of multiple pregnancies through one IVF cycle.

“The goal of reducing the incidence of multiple pregnancies is extremely important, and patients can see from the data that fewer embryos transferred do not mean a lower chance of pregnancy,” said James Toner, M.D., president of SART.

Since fewer women are transferring multiple embryos, twin and triplet birth rates resulting from IVF have noticeably decreased. The report also states that from 2012 to 2013, the number of twins dropped from 12,436 to 12,085, and the number of triplets fell from 411 to 376.

Caitlin St John is an Editorial Assistant for Parents.com who splits her time between New York City and her hometown on Long Island. She’s a self-proclaimed foodie who loves dancing and anything to do with her baby nephew. Follow her on Twitter: @CAITYstjohn

The “three-parent” IVF technique benefited babies predisposed to genetic disorders because the donor’s genes (contained in donated mitochondria) could “cancel” out any defected genes. But naysayers were concerned about the ethics of gene manipulation and the morals of “customizing” a baby to fit certain specifications. (Think: Gattaca)

Later this month, Parliament will vote on the bill. If it passes again, the IVF technique will be legal in Britain starting in October.

Sherry Huang is a Features Editor for Parents.com who covers baby-related content. She loves collecting children’s picture books and has an undeniable love for cookies of all kinds. Her spirit animal would be Beyoncé Pad Thai. Follow her on Twitter @sherendipitea

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